Back To Life
by Batman Lamp-Writer
Summary: With Paulina behind bars, everyone thinks life will finally go back to normal. But with Danny’s new “family” to worry about, things are just gonna get flipped around again.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: And now that my homework is done, welcome to book three! Back To Life will be starring Danielle (Danlie here), Danny, Sam, and a few OCs! Trust me, if you thought Fading was insane, wait 'til you get into this!

Anywayz, here'z ya go!

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Nineteen-year-old Daniel Fenton-Ryder-Masters shook his head slowly to clear it. Yesterday, his life had been flipped upside-down. _Again._

The girl who had taken to calling him 'bro' walked into the kitchen just then. Last night, Danny had gotten Vlad's driver to take him shopping for clothes for sixteen-year-old Danlie. His apartment officially had two boarders now. Danlie seemed to be more than happy to sleep on the couch last night.

She was still a mystery to him. She showed up out of nowhere, claiming that she was his little sister and they'd both been adopted. He replayed their talk.

"_Yeah, you were taken away really young. When I was born, I was named after you. Daniel, Danlie. The only thing different was the 'l'."_

"_I'm __**not**__ adopted. I'm a Fenton, born and—well, half-raised. The other half was Ryder and Masters."_

_Danlie's eyes darkened at the name. She shook her head, trying to get back on topic and looking a little nervous._

"_Trust me, when you see our b—brothers, you'll realize that I—I'm telling you the t—truth."_

_She stumbled through that sentence,_ Danny thought.

_**She lied through her teeth, but didn't want to,**_ Demo continued. _**Someone's trying to manipulate her.**_

_But she's trying to fight it, which means someone's controlled her before._

"Hey, Danny?" she called, making him jump.

"Y—Yes, Danlie?" he gasped.

She giggled at him. "Where's your food?"

He blinked confused. Then he remembered and blushed. "I need to buy some. I'd barely moved in before I was in the hospital." _Twice,_ he added mentally.

"Well, let's go get some!" She pulled on his good arm, leading him to the door.

"Wait! I can't _drive!_"

"I can!"

"_W—Wait!_"

The phone rang, and she let him go, huffing.

"H—Hello?" he stammered, trying to clear his throat.

"Danny? You okay? You sound kinda funny," Sam's voice said.

He blushed again. "I—I'm fine. I just—"

"Oh, good! Well, we were wondering if you wanted to come out to eat with us."

"I'd like to, but I can't drive."

"I could pick you up!"

"_Daaaaan-nyyyyyyyyy!_"

He winced. "Uh, sorry, Sam, I can't. I, uh, sorta have company over."

"Oh, okay. Maybe next time."

"Maybe."

"Bye, Danny."

"Bye, Sam." He hung up, sighing.

"Who was that?" Danlie asked suddenly. He jumped again. "Was that your _girlfriend?_"

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Then why'd she ask you out?"

"Shut up, Danlie."

_Kami__, she __is__ a little sister!_

"But, c'mon, I want _fooooood!_"

"Alright, already, I'm coming…."

34( 70 !3

_**I swear, get a new driver, or Jo's gonna be **__**dragged**__** to your death time!**_

_Hush up._

Danny shook when he got out of the car. "Where the bloody _hell_ did you learn to drive?"

"My foster dad taught me," she said dismissively. "Trust me, his driving's worse."

"It can get _worse?_"

"Oh, shut it."

The two walked into the grocery store, splitting up to grab what they'd need. Ten minutes later, they met at a register, Danny having gotten the things they'd need, Danlie the junk food.

Danny sighed as he paid for the food. Only two days, and already Danlie was costing him twice the rent for the apartment. At least she could drive him….

As he got back into the car with Danlie and she took off, he took back his former statement. He'd be better off taking the bus….

34( 70 !3

"Hey, Dan?"

"Yeah?" he groaned, trying to fall back asleep.

"Someone's called for you. I think it's your boss."

He jumped up, grabbing for the phone. "M—Mr. Lancer?"

"_Hello, Danny,"_ Lancer's voice said. _"Who was it that answered?"_

"Uh, just a friend, sir."

"_**Okay….**__ We need you to get down here, ASAP. We've got a robbery in progress. Hostage situation."_

"Right, sir. I'll get down there as—uh, where?"

"_The bank on 75__th__, right next to the grocery store."_

Danny blinked. They'd been there only a few minutes ago, and he hadn't seen _anything._ It must've been a—

"I'll be right there, sir, but I need a ride."

"_I'll-take-you!_" Danlie screamed.

"_Who was—?"_

"Never mind, sir, I've got a ride. Thanks, be right there!"

He hung up quickly, dragging a hand through his hair and Danlie back out to the car.

"Where we goin'?" she asked.

"The bank next to the grocery store, and _hurry!_"

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Lancer, Val, Tuck, and Sam were already there. Dash and Kwan had gotten lost, but were on their way.

Danny and Danlie pulled up, he jumping out quickly. "Sir, how many?"

"Two guns. Two rounds are fired every few minutes. There's at least ten hostages. We're not sure of injuries. We were about to send someone in."

"Let me go, sir. I've done this a lot in Wisconsin." _Being the smallest actually had some perks over there…._

Lancer couldn't say no to the determined look Danny had on his face. "…Alright. Hurry."

"I will, sir." He ran in, disappearing from view.

Sam turned to Lancer, saying, "Sir, he's still hurt! Are you sure it was a good idea to—?"

"Yes. I trust him, Sam. You should, too."

"Yes, sir." She turned to the building, where more gunshots could be heard. "Be careful, Danny…."

34( 70 !3

Danny turned invisible the moment he could. A stream of blue smoke escaped his mouth as he approached the bank. He could hear someone talking inside now as he transformed.

"Johnny, get the cash and let's scram! I'm getting worried. You _know_ Phantom's back!" a whining, female voice said.

"C'mon, Kitty, like he's really gonna—"

"Come in and stop you? 'Cause that's what I was goin' for," he said, walking in. A girl with red eyes and green hair and a guy with green eyes and greasy blonde hair jumped. "Hey, Johnny, Kitty! I thought you two had quit the stealing business!" he said in mock greeting. He paused. "Well, then again, I thought Paulina had quit, too…."

"Phantom," the two growled.

He grinned. "The one and only! Now, let these people go, Johnny!"

"Hold 'im, Shadow!" Johnny commanded. His bad-luck shadow jumped out, pulling Danny's arms behind his back. As Danny struggled to break free, Johnny aimed a gun at him.

Danny saw this and laughed. "Wow, Johnny, you keep getting stupider and stupider! I got three words for you: _I'm. A. __**Ghost!**_"

Johnny smirked. "Rumor's goin' 'round that you're also a Reaper. Steel, ghost-proof bullets, Phantom. See you _never_." He fired, and Danny slipped free from Shadow's hold. Instead of Danny getting hit, Shadow was and disappeared.

Danny backflipped to the ground, wincing only slightly at his torn leg, before standing erect again. "Nice try, Johnny, but it takes more than that to kill _me._"

"Oh, yeah? Let's see just how good you are at dodging, huh? You had to have gotten slow after years out of practice!" He and Kitty fired rapidly, forcing Danny to dance around to avoid the bullets. He finally got off a few shots of his own, freezing them both with his cryokinetics. He reached behind him to grab a thermos from a strap on his back. With a press of a button, the two were sucked inside as Danny floated back down.

He glanced over at the hostages, motioning at them to leave. They stampeded out the door, and Danny changed back. He walked slowly outside after they had left.

Sam ran over the moment she saw him. "What happened? Are you okay?"

He smiled slightly. "I'm fine, Sam."

"What _happened?_ We heard the shots, and—!"

"Heh, actually, I didn't do anything," he said, a hand creeping backwards to rub his neck. "By the time I got there, Phantom had already gotten at them. It was a couple of ghosts. They were shooting at him, but he caught them. I didn't really do anything."

By then, Dash and Kwan had arrived, catching Danny's explanation. They smirked as they walked over.

Sam blinked, confused. "Phantom? Who's that?"

"Uh, j—just a—" Danny stammered, only to be cut off by Kwan.

"So, the 'ghost-boy' is still following you?"

Danny's eyes widened dramatically and he turned at them. "I th—think it might be _me_ who's following _him!_"

"_Danny!_" Danlie screamed, running over and hugging him tightly. He gasped, having the wind knocked out of him since she only came up to his chest. "Areyouokay?Whathappened?Thereweregunshotsand—!" she said rapidly.

"I'm _fine._"

"Danny, who—?" Lancer started.

Danny sighed, wanting to just tell them all at once. He finally pried himself free from Danlie and motioned to her. "This is Danlie. She's my… she's… she and I might be… related."

The others stared. "…_What?_"

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A/N: Whoo, boy! Yes, confusion galore throughout this book! …It seemed much longer in my written version, but that might be 'cause of my sloppy writing, lolz! Anywayz, all yours! Byez, y'all!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okiez! Quick update for once! Jumping on the chance 'cause I've got little homework today, and Saturday is going to be a bad day to update, since I'll be at the state 4-H fair! Wheeee! And my gerbil's having babies soon!

Anywayz, here!

234032

"So, what exactly are we doing?" Danlie asked as she drove Danny to the Amity Park Police Department. The car was only swerving slightly today, a major improvement in Danny's mind.

"We're taking DNA samples to see if we _are_ related."

"Ohhh. That _is_ an easy way to check…." Danlie nibbled on her bottom lip nervously. Danny passed it off as her being worried about the truck trying to pass them.

"And the best part is that we'll know in just a day."

"S—Still, you should meet our brothers."

"Maybe I'd have more interest in them if you _told_ me about them. Like, what's their names?"

"Jim, Jake, Josh, and Jeff."

_**Daaamn.**_

Danny blinked in shock. "… I'm followed by J's wherever I go…."

"What?"

Danny shook his head to clear it. "N—Nothing."

Danlie glanced at him, not believing it at all.

"_Eyes on the road!_" he screamed as the car swerved.

She squealed, twisting the wheel. The car was set straight again as both sighed. Danlie chuckled, glancing at him. "Would you believe I only got my permit a little while ago?"

"It would _definitely_ explain some things…." he ground out.

She blushed. "Well, once you can drive again, we'll _see_ who's better!"

"Me, hands down," he replied haughtily/

"Oh, wanna bet now?"

"Why not? _I'll_ win."

"You. Are. _ON_. Bro."

34( 70 !3

"Alright, so you two want a DNA test?" Tuck asked, somewhat skeptical. How could they be siblings? Take away the matching eyes and they were completely different! First off, he had blue hair, she had black. Well, he may have _had_ black hair, but that wasn't a fact! …At least, it wasn't as far as Tucker knew.

"Yeah," Danny answered simply.

"Okay. Step up, I'll get a sample from you."

Danny moved up, but was stopped by Tucker.

"Oh, uh, not you. I still have that sample from two weeks ago." At Danny's confused look, he added, "From when that Reaper thing took you."

Danny's mouth formed an 'O' as he pushed Danlie forward. She gave him a slight glare as Tucker sat her down on a chair. He pulled out a needle and quickly began drawing some blood. Danlie winced, staring as the needle filled.

"Don't you have _enough?_" she whined. Tucker shook his head.

"It's best to get more than enough, just in case we can't get a good enough sample to compare to Danny's." He drew in just a little more, saying, "This should be good."

Danlie sighed in relief, hopping off the chair. "Good. I don't like needles, at _all._"

"I know how you feel," Tuck said with a shudder. "I mean, I can hardly believe I'm able to do this lab stuff! Hospitals _still_ freak me out. I couldn't even pass the nurse's office in school without having my eyes closed. Ask Sam or Valerie."

Danny chuckled, barely able to hide his own shudder at the needle. "Somehow, I can see you doing that."

Tuck turned to him, remembering a question he had. "So, what was up with those ghosts yesterday at the bank? I mean, you saw them, right?"

Danlie watched as Danny tensed. "Uh… they were, uh, robbing the bank, but Ph—Phantom stopped them before I got in there."

"And the gun shots?"

"They were shooting at Phantom." Danlie glanced up at him, and he stuttered out a speedy, "They—they _were_ ghosts, so I—I figured wh—why bother tr—trying to shoot. It w—wasn't like I c—could hurt them." Danlie's glance turned to a suspicious glare, and he decided to get out of there, quick. He got hold of Danlie's shoulder, maneuvering her in front of him and ignoring her protest. "We'd better go," he explained, "I'm not supposed to be doing much of anything this week, or Vlad will flip out on me. Tell me when you get the results."

Tuck watched as the two left, shaking his head. "Weird family…."

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"You didn't tell him the whole truth, did you?" Danlie asked as she drove. Danny grumbled next to her. "You lied."

"I did _not_," he answered, glaring.

Danlie huffed, then suddenly spun the wheel, parking the car on the side of the road and turning sharply to him. "You're lying, I can tell. _Why?_"

"Because it's no one's business what happened. Phantom stopped the ghosts _and_ the robbery."

"And _you_ helped!"

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. What does it matter?"

Danlie was turning red. "I can understand you not trusting me. After all, we just met. But you can trust your own _friends!_"

"No, I can't."

"Well, _why not?_"

"Because I just met _them_, too!"

Both were red in the face, and Danny was breathing heavily in his anger. Danlie blinked, finally overcoming her shock at his outburst.

"Y—You… did?"

"Yeah. That's _why_ I don't trust them yet."

"Oh…. Why didn't you just say that in the first place?"

"Because it wasn't important." He sighed. "I'm still new in town, Danlie. I'd prefer to stay _under_ the radar for a while."

"You're a _cop_. I think 'under the radar' is a bit out of reach," she teased.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"Okay. Sorry."

He sighed. "It's fine. Let's just… go home."

She nodded as she put the car into gear and drove away.

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Valerie walked into Tucker's lab a few hours later, calling out, "So what's the big deal?"

Tuck jumped, hitting his head on the top of the locker he'd been looking in. Rubbing his new injury, he answered, "Their DNA, Val."

"…Okay, so what's up?"

He sighed. "It's _too good_ a match. Well, until they were ten. It's like… they had the same _colds_, even! And at the same _times!_ … Well, y'know, _ages._ But after they were ten, they differ. Almost like she was… well, that's just stupid."

"Like she was _what,_ Tucker?"

"Like… like she was made out of his ten-year-old DNA. They might not be siblings, but they're _definitely_ related."

"A—Are you saying she's a _clone?!?_"

"I'm saying, something is _seriously_ screwy with those two."

34( 70 !3

"Danlie, did you leave the door to your apartment open?"

Danlie blinked, turning to Jay. Danny stopped in front of her, frozen. "No, why?"

The front desk clerk frowned, chewing on his lip. "It's open. Someone opened it while you were gone."

Danny turned slowly. "Did one of the bellboys—?"

"No. No one opened it. Well, not one of us. Dan, someone… someone picked the lock."

_**It could be Jo,**_ Demo said.

_Or it could be a robber._

_**Either case, they need to get out of your room. Now.**_

Danny nodded. "I'll get 'em outta there. Call the police. Make sure Danlie stays here."

Jay protested even as Danny started running. "Dan! You're still hurt!"

Danny half-turned, still heading for the elevator. "So? That never stopped me before!" he turned back, disappearing around a corner.

Danlie raised an eyebrow. "What does he mean by 'never stopped me _before_'?"

"Dan's always ran straight into trouble ever since I met him, regardless of how hurt he was," Jay answered as he dialed 911.

"_Nine-one-one, what's your emergency?"_ a cool voice asked.

"We have a possible break in and/or robbery. Someone broke into an apartment here."

"_Sir, where are you?"_

"The Kalypso. Please hurry, someone went—"

There was a crash from upstairs, and Jay tensed, eyes wide. Beside him, Danlie shrieked.

"_**Sir?**__"_

"Ma'am, someone… someone went into the room." Jay grabbed Danlie's shoulder to keep her in place as she tried to rush to Danny's aid.

"_I've got the police on the way; a hospital nearby is sending out an ambulance, just stay calm, sir."_

"Easier said than done," Jay mumbled as Danlie squirmed to get out of his hold. Hanging up, he looked down at the girl. Tears streamed down her face while she silently cried for her newly found brother.

Jay knew how she felt. Danny was a brother to him, too, after all.

That's probably the only reason he let go.

34( 70 !3

Danny ran up the stairs, not bothering to wait for an elevator. Demo ran through possibilities of what could happen even as Danny debated transforming. He finally decided against it as he reached his landing. In his rush, he forgot his key and just kicked the door down, years of practice as a cop fueling his adrenaline. A crash echoed through the empty hallway.

Something fell in his room.

Danny walked in, immediately reaching to his waist for his SIG before remembering it was in his desk at the APPD. He decided to just fake them out.

"Amity Park Police!" he yelled. "Come out with your hands up!" He looked towards his room, remembering hearing something in there.

A murmur came from the kitchen.

He turned. "You in the kitchen, out here!"

"Jig's up, guys," a voice came from behind Danny. He jumped and turned quickly to see a black-haired, green-eyed guy smirking at him. "The police sent a _fist fighter_ to get us!"

Three laughs echoed from the other rooms as three more black-haired men came out. The four circled around Danny as he settled into a defensive stance.

The green-eyed one chuckled. "Kid, if you actually think you can beat all four of us, you've got a serious beating coming."

"I'd like to see you _try_," Danny shot back.

The four glared. One of the others, this one having gray eyes, answered. "See us _try?_ Oh, you'll _see_ us, that's for sure, but we won't just be _trying!_"

Danny scoffed. "Right. I'm ready to take on whoever comes at me. You four gonna come one by one or all at once? 'Cause either way, you're not gonna be leaving here until the police come."

"Thought you _were_ the police, kid."

_**Oooh, low blow.**_

_Not now, Dem!_

_**Watch out!**_

Danny dodged a punch and countered by swinging his leg around to toss one of the four into the sofa. He went back to his ready stance, motioning for them to come at him.

They were about to close in when a voice cried out, "_**WAIT!**_"

The green-eyed leader turned as Danny looked up. "_Danlie?_" both gaped.

The girl panted, glancing at them. "Jeff… that's D—Danny…."

They turned to each other in shock.

"_Danny?_"

"_**Jeff?**_"

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A/N: Kekeke, wow, sibling bonding! And I thought _my_ brothers were bad!

Anywayz, read and review, pweaze! Byez, y'all!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry I dropped off of the face of the planet there. Anywayz, finally back with the next chapter! Again, sorry, school's been trying to kill me, but we have a week-long break, so I'm gonna make use of it! Plus, first marking period is over, yay!

Here's chapter…erm… three? Yeah, three.

234032

"Sorry about yesterday," Jeff said quietly, leaning against the sofa.

"Sorry about the police almost locking you in jail," Danny replied, chuckling.

Jeff laughed. "Hey, we've been in worse trouble."

Danny's curiosity perked up. After all, if these guys _were_ his brothers, he wanted to know what they'd been up to.

_**Should've checked their records right away, **_Demo grumbled.

_Hush up._ "Really? What'd ya do?"

Jeff shrugged. "Eh, we've been caught breakin' and enterin' a few times. Mostly 'cause Josh wouldn't leave before trying out all the appliances in the house."

_**What'd I tell you? They're crooks!**_

Shoving Demo's voice away, Danny chuckled. "Tech geek?"

"Sorta."

Danlie walked in with the phone, smirking. "It's your _girlfriend._"

"She's not my girlfriend," Danny protested, reaching for the device. "Gimme that!"

"Say please," she demanded, holding it over his head.

Rather than just stand up to get it, Danny glared at her. "_Danlie…._"

"Say please!"

"_GIMME IT!_"

"Fine, gosh." She dropped the phone, which he caught quickly, pressing it to his ear.

"Hello?" he said. Sam was laughing.

"_Having fun over there?"_

He glared at his two chuckling… siblings. "No. Not at all."

She finally calmed down. _"We got the results on you DNA. You won't believe it."_

"What?"

"_You'd have to see it, trust me."_

"Alright, when should we come over there?"

"_Anytime today. You and Danlie can come whenever."_

"Uh, it wouldn't be just me and Danlie…."

"…_How many long-lost siblings do you __**have?**__"_

"Apparently, five."

"…_**Five?**__"_

"Heh, yeah?" Danny rubbed the back of his neck unconsciously.

"_You want DNA tests from each of them?"_

"Nah. We'll be down in just a bit."

"_Alright. See __**y'all**__ then."_ She hung up as Danny laughed sarcastically.

"Funny…." he mumbled while putting the phone away. He looked around at his sister… and brothers. For some reason, he could accept that he was related to Danlie easily, but the others… they sent off major warning bells, mostly from Demo. "So… anyone want to go compare Danlie's and my DNA?"

"I'll drive!" Danlie called out, running out immediately. The guys noticed Danny's face and chuckled.

"We feel your pain, dude," Jim said, "but we ain't ridin' with ya."

"Lucky me," he groaned.

34( 70 !3

"Made it in one piece, I see," Lancer commented as they drove up. He turned to Tuck, muttering, "He needs a new driver."

"Hello, sir," Danny said as he got out of the car. Danlie and her brothers followed. "What is it you want me to see?"

"First off, did you know that your DNA is actually a _double_ double helix?"

"Uh, n—no, I didn't. Why?"

"It seems Danlie's DNA is also a double-double."

Danlie ducked down slightly, blushing. The guys behind her glared. "I didn't know," she mumbled to them.

"Didn't know _what?_" Danny asked suspiciously.

_**Ding ding! Warning bells.**_

_Seriously, quit it._

"Th—That I had such w—weird DNA!" she answered.

"Gee, thanks," Danny said sarcastically.

"Danny?" Tuck said, effectively pulling Danny's attention back to them. "You might want to _see_ how close the two of you are." He glanced at Danlie and her brothers to gauge their reactions. "The two of you are identical up to age ten."

There it was. Each of them winced and turned to Danlie as Danny stood there, confused and clueless as to what was going on behind him. Danlie shrugged, grimacing herself. They excused themselves and dragged her off with them.

"Do you… want to see?" Val asked Danny. He shook his head, still in shock.

"How—? How are we—?" he stuttered.

"We dunno, Danny. It could just be coincidence, it could be something else. We'd have to ask her to find out."

"Anything else?" Danny asked, running his good hand through his hair.

"Just that… some of the stuff your blood and hair say you've done is pretty scary."

Danny quickly glanced at Sam before answering. "I had some trouble before I moved in with Vlad."

Sam looked confused for a second before her eyes widened and she nodded.

"Well, I'd better go. They probably want to find some place to have dinner. Bye."

Danny left, causing the rest to turn to Sam. "What did he tell you?" Lancer asked quickly.

"N—Nothing, really!"

"Sam."

She sighed. "Just that… there was some time in between him losing his parents and Vlad taking him in."

"Four years' time?"

"I—I dunno, he didn't say."

"Sam, this kind of thing, we need to know right away, alright? Next time he tells you something like this, you tell us _immediately_."

"I've got it, sir."

"Good. Now, get either Dash or Kwan and follow those six."

"_Sir?_"

"Something's off about their story, and I think Danny won't notice."

34( 70 !3

"Hey, Dan?" Josh called, coming into the room. Danny jumped, making him laugh. "You wanna do something today?"

"Like what?" Danny asked, forcing his heartbeat to slow.

"Goin' to the park? We could play some baseball, or soccer, or basketball, or golf…."

"Golf?" Danny asked, raising an eyebrow.

Josh shrugged. "I don't know. We'll just bring everything, in case."

"Alright, let's go."

_**Bad idea, Danny….**_

_Quit overreacting and leave me alone, Demo. Believe it or not, I know what I'm doing!_

Demo was silent, and five minutes later, thanks to Josh's insane driving (it apparently ran in the family), they were at the park. True to their word, the guys had packed every piece of sporting equipment they owned.

Danny laughed when he saw them taking everything out. "A harness? We don't even have a horse here!"

"Who says we need one to use that?" Jim muttered darkly.

A car pulled in behind the group, driving around to the other side of the parking lot. Jake looked around before spotting an area of the park covered in trees.

"How 'bout we play laser tag in those woods," he suggested. "It looks dark enough."

"Yeah," Jeff said, turning to Danny, "What do you think, Dan?"

"Uh, sure," he agreed, slightly surprised that they were letting him choose.

They quickly grabbed the vests and laser guns they'd need to play before packing up the rest. After locking the car, they walked over to the small forest.

Danny realized it was _definitely_ dark enough as he waited for his eyes to adjust. By then, the others had hidden already. He grinned, running further into the woods silently.

34( 70 !3

Sam and Dash got out of their car quickly, heading for the woods.

"What are we watching for again?" Dash asked cautiously and quietly.

"Anything that'll tip off that they're up to or hiding something."

"It looks like they're up to _laser tag_, Sam," he said, rolling his eyes. "C'mon, _paranoid_ much, Sam? So Dan's family is weird, so what? It's not much weirder than his _other _family. Chill."

"They're up to something, I _know_ it. Things like this _don't happen _normally!"

"They happen to Danny."

"Shhh, I hear something." Sam crept forward, listening closely.

"Dammit," a voice was saying, "we gave him Danlie's gun!"

"We _what?_" another answered in shock.

"He's _already_ stunned Jim and Jake, but he didn't notice!"

"Damn. J's not gonna be happy about this."

"So we don't tell. We'll get him in something else soon as they can move again."

"Right. Let's get outta here before he gets _us_, too. Last thing we need is for our target to put us out of business." The two ran off.

Sam turned to Dash, both speaking at the same time.

"_Target?_"

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A/N: Kekeke… this is just too much fun! Heh, obviously, these guys are up to no good! Oh well. Stay tuned for the next chapter, hopefully up much sooner than this one, lolz! Byez, y'all!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Yeah, it's been a while, I know. School's been a pain, so I'm typing this up really quick in the limited free time I have. Meanwhile, though, school's also given me an opportunity to write more out. So, I now have about three half-started stories, a half-finished one-shot song-fic that might even have a sequel, and plot ideas for about two more stories. :sigh: I'm an idiot. A workaholic idiot. Anywayz, finally getting around to this, and you can expect a new chapter of Unconquerable in a week or two, tops.

And as a way to maybe both redeem and condemn myself, I am offering to you a sneak peek of my mentioned one-shot Is Forever Enough? Basically, it's AU-ish, involves character death, and it's from Danny's POV.

_Those were the last words I said to her, to __**anyone**_

_Is forever enough?_

_Three little words that crushed her…._

_!5 023\/32 3\0()9-?_

_There's a cycle we go through. Everyone, even Sam. We __**want**__ to be accepted, we __**want**__ to be appreciated, we __**want**__ to get everything we dream for, but we __**don't.**__ We __**want**__ everyone to still accept us after we fail, but we __**aren't.**__ We __**want**__ life to go after we're abandoned, but it __**doesn't.**_

_We __**want **__everything to be perfect, but it __**isn't. Ever.**__ It's all a stupid __**game,**__ and no one wins…._

_!5 023\/32 3\0()9-?_

_It would've been better if I hadn't known. I wouldn't have bothered writing this, and I wouldn't have to worry for my parents and friends. If I hadn't known, I wouldn't have spent the last three months worrying and waiting, trying to find out when it would be…._

_!5 023\/32 3\0()9-?_

_I'm sorry, Sam. That's the worst part of this whole thing. I have to say good-bye to __**you….**_

_**Is forever enough?**_

_**I'm holding on**_

_**I know you'll be there**_

_**Whenever I wake up**_

Okay, now you can kill me after I type up the next chapter of Back To Life:cringes and hides:

234032

"Hey, guys," Danny called as he walked into the living room. Jim and Jake glared up at him, and he winced in remembrance of the day before. "Sorry 'bout the game yesterday. No hard feelings?"

"_Sure_," the bit out.

Danny shrugged at them, then turned to greet Danlie at the door. She yawned widely, not yet seeing him in front of her.

"Hey, Danlie. Sorry 'bout leaving you alone like that yesterday."

Danlie stared at him in shock, blinked, blushed, and ducked away from him. "Y—Yeah… I'm just glad you guys, uh, _bonded_."

Jeff spoke up then, saying, "Oh, Dan, we'll be goin' out, so—"

"Oh, well, I have to check in with Lancer and the others, too."

"—we'll be driving to the other side of town," Jeff finished in a deadpan.

Danny's face fell. "I could just get Danlie to drive me."

"Cool. See ya." The guys left, and Danny sat down on the couch. Danlie seemed to battle with herself for a moment before tossing something towards Danny and heading into the kitchen.

Danny caught it, surprised, but just stuck it into his pocket, not bothering to look at the object.

_**Something's going on,**_ Demo told him, _**I can feel it.**_

He sighed mentally. _I thought you'd shut up. What __now?_

_**Those four are plotting something. **__**They're**__** the ones trying to control Danlie!**_

_Are you sure?_

_**Yes!**__** Now, instead of having Danlie drive you, call up Sam. We can't be too sure where Danlie's true loyalty lies. And anyway, Sam was following you yesterday. She heard more than you did.**_

_She __followed__ me?_

_**I believe Lancer made her, but she **__**was**__** worried herself.**_

…_she __followed__ me?_

Demo sighed. _**Yes, lover-boy, she **__**followed**__** you. **_

…_why?_

And now Demo screamed. _**Because she's **__**worried**__** about you! Damn hormones. Glad I got over **__**those**__** a thousand years ago….**_

…_she's… worried… about __me?_

_**Yes, Dan. Just like how Jazz and Jack always are. Er, **__**were**__**, up until Jo came out.**_

…_she doesn't __need__ to be worried…._

_**It doesn't matter if she **__**needs**__** to be worried, she just **__**is.**_

Danny paused, mulling that over before saying anything else. Demo continued to curse hormones in the background. _I still don't like people worrying over me._

_**So you don't like people to care?**_

…_I didn't say that._

_**You **__**thought**__** it.**_

_Fine, I'll call Sam._

_**Atta boy!**_

_DON'T CALL ME THAT!_

"Dan?" Danlie called out tentatively. "Do you still need me to drive you?"

Danny looked up, trying to figure out from looking at her who she'd be loyal to. Him or them. "Nah," he finally replied. "Someone else will. You should go out. Have some fun, alright?"

The girl hesitated before nodding. She left, glancing back at him once before closing the door behind her.

He sighed, reaching out for the phone and dialing the familiar number. It took only one ring for someone to pick up. "Hi, Mr. Lancer? Could I talk to Sam for a minute?"

34( 70 !3

By the time the car pulled up, Danny was already outside waiting. He jumped in quickly, mumbling a greeting to Sam while trying to keep up with Demo's grumbled logic.

_**Obviously some plot… maybe with…? No, not possible… but what about…?**_

_Make sense or shut up, your choice._

_**Noted. Ah, she's talking!**_

Danny glanced up quickly, noticing Sam's raised eyebrow. "So, why'd you need my help again?"

"Because you followed me yesterday," he answered honestly.

She stared at him, only slightly surprised. "Yeah, I did. Your point?"

"What did you hear when I wasn't listening?"

She frowned at him. "They were calling you a target. That's what stood out the most. I know you were playing a game, but that's _obviously_ not the kind of target they meant. And apparently, the laser guns you were using were actually _stun guns._ You froze Jim and Jake."

He thought that over for a moment. "Oddly enough, it all makes sense. They didn't recognize me when we first met, but Danlie did. Not something you'd expect from 'older siblings'. They brought along an insane amount of sports stuff, and each piece could double as a weapon…. They _are_ controlling Danlie…!" 

"…_What?_"

"They—I think Danlie tried to tell me something this morning, but the guys were too close still. She slipped me _this_, though," he said, pulling out the balled-up piece of paper from his pocket. Sam realized just then that he was using his bad arm, which was no longer in the sling.

"When did your arm get better?" she asked, surprised.

He chuckled. "While my 'brothers' and I were _bonding_ yesterday." 

"Hn. Interesting how powerful restorative, healing abilities of accidentally stunning two of your 'brothers' can be."

"Actually, three," he said, smirking slightly.

She stared for a second before laughing hysterically. "Remind me to _never _play laser tag with you."

"Or dodgeball."

"…I'm not even gonna ask."

"Yeah, school was interesting for me…."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Sam said, "So what did the paper say?"

Danny's eyes widened. "Oh, right!" Sam rolled her eyes as he unfolded it and read aloud. "'Simmons Street, 1500. I know what you mean now about J's.'" he gasped, eyes even wider. "What time is it?" he breathed out.

"It's 2:50, why?"

"How long'll it take to get to Simmons?"

"Ten minutes, if we're lucky. Danny, what's up?"

"Put your siren on until we're almost there. _GO!_"

Trusting him, Sam drove as fast as she could to Simmons Street, glancing over at Danny as she followed his orders. After everything that happened the past two weeks, she was ready to trust him about this.

He seemed to have fallen asleep, but his fingers twitched and he was mumbling something. Confused, she ignored him the best she could as she drove as fast as legally possible.

_They're meeting with someone,_ he told Demo.

_**Probably Jo, from what Danlie said. Dammit, I should've figured that out before!**_

_It's fine, but yeah. It looks like Jo strikes again. But getting someone else to do the dirty work just doesn't seem like her. Or Jazz, when she gets into her violent moods. No, they'd want to actually do it themselves._

_**That's why you were using stun guns instead of real guns. She just wanted to get you, then she'd do the rest.**_

_That's more like her, yeah._

_**You have to be careful. She might be able to sense you or Sam if you get too close.**_

_Right. I'll keep Sam from looking up, too. Otherwise, she might get suspicious about "Jazmine" trying to kill me. Heh, my family just gets better and better, huh?_

_**Sure does. Went from **__**one**__** sibling wanting ya dead to **__**six**__** siblings wanting ya dead!**_

…_Five. Danlie can't count. We're not sure about her._

…_**we're here,**_ Demo said, unsure how else to comment on Danny's obvious trust in the girl. Sam echoed him a second later, and Danny noticed then that the siren had been turned off a while ago.

The two got out silently, sneaking over to an opening to an alley where the guys were already talking to Joaquima. The latter looked enraged while the former tried to calm her.

"We'll get him still, J," Jeff was saying quickly. "He's _completely clueless!_"

Sam had to slap her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing at Danny's face.

"Yeah, J," Jake continued. "Just give us another chance and he'll be all yours!"

"How do I know you won't fail again?" she hissed at them.

"Because," Josh tried, "we still have our secret weapon!"

"And that is…?"

"Danlie," Jim replied. "She'll surprise him and get him here, trust us. She's already had practice at kidnapping from her, ah, 'foster' dad." The guys smirked as Jo thought it over.

Danny's eyes narrowed at that comment. _It can't be…!_ he thought.

_**Anything's possible. Not probable, but possible.**_

"What insurance do you have that she will stay in your control?"

"Blackmail, pure and simple. We know her past, and she _knows_ we know," Jeff answered promptly.

Sam glanced at Danny again, gauging his reaction. He appeared stone-faced still.

"Alright. You'll have one more chance. But if you mess up, _you'll _be my next targets!"

"Yes, ma'am," the four chorused.

"Good. Now, what exactly is it that Danlie can do that makes her your so-called secret weapon?"

"Same thing _he_ can," Jake spat.

"Yeah, y'know, all those _special talents_ and _abilities_."

Danny had to force down his snarl at Josh's statement. Danlie wasn't the only one they could blackmail. He ignored Sam's confused look as Jo laughed.

"Oh, I highly doubt she has _all _his, eheh, '_abilities'_. But in any case, if she _doesn't_ kill him, _kill her._"

234032

A/N:GASP!: Anywayz, I'm gonna run now!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Okay, it's officially time to work off the stupid HSPA drain. So, back (finally) with the next chapter of Back To Life! And, luckily for everyone reading, I have broken my writer's block on book five and proceeded to get stuck in book six, lolz. Anywayz, expect somewhat more frequent updates until summer time. By that I mean, maybe once a month. Sorry! School totally wants to kill me.

234032

"Danny, what are you going to _do?_" Sam asked as she dropped him off that night. He'd hardly spoken all day.

Danny continued walking to the door, ignoring her calls until she reached out and grabbed his arm. He glanced down at her, calmly saying, "What?"

She sighed. "What are you going to do?" She let go once she saw him thinking over his answer.

"I dunno," he said slowly, shrugging. "I guess it all depends on Danlie's next move."

Sam bit her lip. "…Okay. I'm just… kinda worried for her, too, y'know? I mean, she was sorta _dragged_ into this by them. She might not have _wanted_ to help."

"_Trust me, when you see our b—brothers, you'll realize that I—I'm telling you the t—truth."_

"I know that, Sam. I'm actually thinking the same thing." Now, he turned fully to her, the ghost of a smile appearing on his face. "Thank you for driving me today, Sam. I missed going at _normal_ speeds."

She laughed. "I'll bet. See you tomorrow, Danny."

"Bye," he whispered as she left. He sighed as he walked into the building, dodging just in time to miss Jay.

The blonde chuckled at him, teasing, "Have a good night with your girlfriend?"

Danny's slight nod left him gaping in shock.

34( 70 !3

The next morning, Danny woke up to a slight headache as someone pounded on his door.

"_Whaaaaaaat?_" he moaned, trying to fall back asleep.

"Dan, everyone else is gone!" Danlie's voice came. "I'm _bored!_"

"_Fine,_" he grumbled, sitting up. As he changed, he listened to Demo's review of the past day.

_**She might try something. Don't be surprised if she uses ghost powers.**_

_I know, Dem, I heard them, too._

…_**Sorry. I just want to make sure you're ready.**_

_I get it. Thank you._

_**Right. Get out there before she gets suspicious.**_

_Yessir!_

As Demo laughed, Danny walked out of his room, straight into a gun. The person behind the gun was Danlie, sobbing as she cocked it.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked hoarsely, trying to keep from scaring her.

"Th—they want me t—to k—kill you," she replied.

"And?"

"I—I don't w—wanna. Th—They're forcing m—me. B—Blackm—mail."

"What blackmail?"

"Th—They know I'm h—half-ghost, like y—you."

"Do they have any proof?"

The girl blinked. "N—No," she gasped, the gun lowering.

"Then you don't _have_ to listen. You don't _have_ to be controlled again."

"H—How did you—?"

"It was a guess. I want you to stay here while I go stop them."

"Please, I… I want to help."

"I can't let you do that."

"_Why not?_"

"Because you were going to _kill_ me!" He turned to leave as she sobbed a moment longer. Then, it was quiet.

"M—My 'foster dad' was Ian."

Danny froze in shock, turning his head towards her. "Wh—_what?_"

"Ian Ryder. I've lived with him since I was ten. Since he made me from three-year-old DNA strands he took from you when _you_ were ten."

"You _are_ a clone," he gaped. She nodded. "S—So, Ian—?"

"He really _was_ a sick creep."

Danny hugged the girl. "Danlie, I'm _so_ sorry! If I'd known he was doing that, I would've—"

"You'd _what?_ Try to stop him? _Nothing_ stops him, Danny, you should know that better than me!"

"What do you mean?"

"I was only with him for a _year_, Dan. Only long enough for him to realize a clone wasn't as _fun_ as the real thing."

"Danlie—"

"No. Forget it. Just go get those blackmailing 'brothers' of ours."

The two shared a smile.

"Alright, I will."

34( 70 !3

"Hey, Sam? Could I ask you a favor?" Danny said into his cell phone as he flew around the city, trying to find the guys.

"_Sure, what is it?" _she answered.

"C—Can you pick up Danlie from my house and come back here?"

"_**What?**__ Isn't Danlie—?"_

"No. At least, not anymore. Blackmail only does so much when you've got no proof."

"_Hn. Alright. Where's 'here'?"_

"Uh…." He looked down, finally finding them. He quickly read off the streets to Sam.

"_Alright. Danlie and I will be there soon."_

"Right. Thanks."

"_And, Danny?"_

"Yeah?"

"_How'd you get there without a car?"_

Danny panicked slightly, but used the response Demo threw at him. "Uh, I ran, now that my leg's healed."

"…_oh. …Okay. See ya."_

"Bye." The minute his phone was put away. He dove down at the four young men, who glared up at him as he landed.

"Look what just flew in," Jeff said, grabbing one of the many weapons they had at hand.

"Look what Jo dug up," Danny retorted, changing back. "Seriously, you had to send _Danlie_ to do _your_ job?"

The four glared as he settled into a defensive stance. They laughed. "You're actually going to fight _us_ without a _weapon?_"

"Why not? Do you guys really give yourselves that much credit? It's not like I'll _need_ one," he shrugged. They ran at him, and he dove intangibly through them, picking up one of their weapons as they turned.

He looked down at the stun gun in his hand. "Hn. The one I pick just _happens_ to be my new best weapon."

They snarled, aiming for him again. He fired two shots, both hitting Jim and taking him out of the fight. Danny turned intangible again as they ran at him, but this time they didn't just faze through. He was thrown back a few feet by their attack, looking up to see a green glow around each weapon.

"_Kuso_…" he muttered.

Josh laughed. "You recognize these, huh? You _would_; after all, it's your _parents'_ design!"

"_SHUT UP!_" He fired again, hitting Josh and grazing Jake. Now it was just him and Jeff.

"Give up," Danny said, raising the gun to his eye level.

Jeff ignored him, chuckling. "Do you really think I came without a backup plan?" He pulled out his own gun and fired once into the air. Danny laughed.

"What's _that_ supposed to do, scare me?"

"No, it's supposed to wake us up," a voice said behind him. Danny turned, coming face to face with Jim. His eyes widened and he backed up. He felt his arms get twisted behind his back and winced. Jake, Jim, and Jeff circled around him as Josh held him in place.

"It's really _funny_ how clueless you can be," Josh hissed at him.

The three came closer, pulling out ecto-weapons. Danny strained, trying to get away from Josh's hold.

Just then, a car spun into the alley, Sam and Danlie jumping out. Sam's gun was trained on the guys as she called out, "Amity Park Police! Put your weapons on the ground and walk away from Fenton!"

Jeff turned to glare at Danny as Josh shook him. He chuckled. "It's really _funny_ how you thought I wouldn't bring _back up_."

His captor threw him to the ground, and he landed harshly, coughing. Josh pulled out a gun and fired.

234032

A/N: Okay, don't kill me! The epilogue is a quick write up, so it should be up soon! BYEZ!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I felt sorry for the cliffy.

234032

Two hours later, the medics helped sort everything out. Josh had fired rapidly, managing somehow to hit everyone but himself, Sam, and Danlie, who had both been behind the car. Sam in turn had shot him down. Danny had been shot once in the arm and barely missed getting shot in the head.

Danlie broke down and sobbed next to him at the back of the ambulance. He glanced over at her, noticing a smile on her face, even through the tears.

"I'm finally free," she whispered, looking up at him. "I'm free from Ian, from them, from their boss…." She hugged him sideways. "I'm free…."

He smiled down at her as she fell asleep. Demo sighed inside his head. _What?_ He wondered.

_**I guess it goes to show ya….**_

_Show ya what?_

_**Your intuition really **__**is**__** the first thing to go….**_

Danny snorted. _Then yours shoulda gone a long, looong time ago, Dem. You're freakin' old!_

_**I'm only 9,008!**_

…_my point exactly._

Demo sighed again. _**And now we've got a little kid living with us….**_

_Uh, us? Last I remembered, __I__ was the only one who __lived__ in that suite. You, Demo, live in my __mind_

…_**Same thing.**_

_Uh, no, it really isn't._

_**Shut up, your girlfriend's coming over.**_

_She's not my—!_

"Hey, Danny!" Sam called as she walked over and sat on his other side.

"H—Hi, Sam," he answered, giving her a shaky smile. He moved and shifted Danlie some so Sam wouldn't sit on his bandaged arm.

"Does it hurt much?" she asked, nodding at the sling.

He looked down at it, shaking his head slowly. "Not too much. I've been shot worse before."

"So Dash and Kwan have told me," she replied, smirking. She sobered, asking quietly, "So, do you two need a ride back home?"

"Yeah, we do. Thanks, for everything."

"It was nothing. I'm just glad I could help stop those guys. Besides, you would've been in _real_ trouble if I _hadn't_ come."

"Yeah, thanks, Sam."

She grinned at him. "You're welcome, Danny."

34( 70 !3

"_Danny,_ I'm _bored!_" Danlie called out the next morning. Danny sighed.

"Aren't you ever _tired?_"

There was a pause before she replied with a gleeful "Nope!"

He groaned. It was a _Saturday,_ for crying out loud!

"C'mon, Danny! Let's do _something!_"

_**Just go with her already!**_ Demo complained. _**She's **__**so**__** obnoxious!**_

_Like __ I__ was at her age?_ Danny thought back wryly.

Demo was silent for a minute. _**…Yeah, like you were. Gosh, you two really **__**are**__** related!**_

_Shut up_, Danny demanded, blushing and wincing. _Kami, one little time, and no one ever lets me forget it…!_

_**It wasn't once!**_

_SHUT UP!_

"_Dannyyyy!_"

_**God, just amuse her!**_

_I guess I'll figure out __something__ to do today…._

Demo realized what he was thinking. _**Niiice.**_

_Thank you._

"_**Daaaaaan—nyyyyyyy!**_"

"Coming!"

34( 70 !3

"So, what are we _doing?_" Danlie asked excitedly, bouncing around.

"We," Danny replied matter-of-factly, "are playing tag."

Danlie's grin fell. "_What?_" she screeched. "Tag's no fun! It's _boring!_"

"Not when you play with me!" Danny said with a smirk. He tapped her shoulder, calling out as he transformed and flew away, "_You're It!_"

Danlie stared in shock for a moment before her grin came back, turning quickly into a smirk of her own. "You. Are. _On,_ bro!" Her hair flashed white and her eyes green as she took off after her 'brother' for a day of extreme tag.

234032

A/N: Pathetically short epilogue, I know. But! I will work on getting book four out quickly!

It's gonna be called As Everything Changes. And now, your sneak peeks!

45 3\/32/7-!\6 (-4\635

_Demo laughed as Danny entered the building, checking in quickly with Jay._

"…_well, she didn't burn anything down…."_

"_Oh, __**that**__ makes me feel better," Danny said, rolling his eyes._

"_Dan, she's like you. She's stubborn, but she means well."_

"…_I know. I just…." He sighed. "I'm not used to being an older brother."_

"_Just wait 'til she starts picking up guys."_

_Danny groaned._

_45 3\/32/7-!\6 (-4\635_

_He burst through the door, nose in the air to catch that scent again. He didn't even notice the woman taking in deep breaths of it._

_Well, until he ran into her._

"_Hey!" she yelped as both crashed to the floor. Danny jumped up quickly, turning to help her up._

_She looked up at him the same time he looked down at her._

"_**Danny?**__"_

"_**Jazz?**__"_

_45 3\/32/7-!\6 (-4\635_

_His life had, __**again**__, changed drastically in just a few minutes. He felt like he'd been dropped back in the nineties, with Lancer questioning him. Only this time, he wasn't a witness._

"_Why'd you shoot her?" Lancer yelled._

_He continued to stare down at his feet blankly._

"_Had she done anything wrong? Was she attacking you? __**Why?**__"_

_45 3\/32/7-!\6 (-4\635_

_The man turned toward him, snarling. "You're not gonna make it outta this alive, kid. Hope 'Daddy' doesn't mind."_

" '_Daddy' is __**dead.**__"_

"_Oh, really? Then what about Momma? She __**worried**__ 'bout you, boy?"_

"_Nope. She's dead, too."_

_45 3\/32/7-!\6 (-4\635_

_Demo, I'm not going to __threaten__ a—somewhat—innocent man!_

_**He's not innocent, and you **__**know**__** it!**_

_Demo!_

_**S—Sorry. I—I think we're too close to death row here. All the death-times are overpowering.**_

_So I see! What __was__ that?_

…_**That…that's what happens when… when a Reaper gets desperate. They—we lose control of ourselves… to bloodlust.**_

_45 3\/32/7-!\6 (-4\635_

A/N: See ya in the next book! Byez, y'all!


End file.
